Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang (center) speaks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (right) as they stand next to European Council President Donald Tusk (left), prior to a meeting at the European Council in Brussels, on June 1, 2017 | Virginia Mayo/AFP via Getty Images

Juncker: ‘A Luxembourger is not afraid of an American’

‘Now that US wants to untie itself from international connections, relationship with China is more important,’ Commission president tells POLITICO.

BELGIAN AIRSPACE — President Donald Trump’s “worrying” moves to “untie” America from the world make it hard for Europe to stay on good terms with it, and are pushing the EU toward China, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday.

“Now that there are signs that the U.S. wants to untie itself from international connections, the relationship with China is becoming more and more important,” Juncker told POLITICO a day before the main sessions of the EU-China summit.

“I am not very happy with the idea that we might now work even more closely with China than we are able to do with the Americans,” he added in the interview aboard the plane bringing him back to Brussels from Berlin, where he spoke about transatlantic relations and met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “This does not fit into my old worldview.”

Juncker’s comments came in the wake of a tense encounter between European leaders and the new American president last week in Brussels and at the G7 summit in Sicily, and hours before Trump was expected to announce his decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris accord on climate change.

Juncker’s comments came in the wake of a tense encounter between European leaders and the new American president last week in Brussels.

The Commission president called his meetings with Trump an “open exchange of views” but acknowledged that it “was not always amusing for both sides.”

Juncker added that he held his own in talks with the U.S. president: “A Luxembourger is not afraid of an American.”

In a speech on Thursday in Berlin, Juncker said he hoped the U.S. would stick with the Paris deal and warned Trump that one — legally at least — can’t pull out of the agreement “overnight.”

“Partly worrying” is how Juncker described recent “statements of the American president” — diplomat speak for really bad.

“We must continue the conversation with the new administration, despite all the difficulties. The annoyance of the moment must not detract from the necessity of a permanent dialogue with the United States,” the Commission president said in the interview. “We must try to keep the transatlantic relationship in a good condition.”

China pivot

Juncker’s attention will be diverted away from Trump, for a while at least, on Friday, which is the main day of an EU-China summit in Brussels. He will join European Council President Donald Tusk and other EU bigwigs in talks with a Chinese delegation composed of Prime Minister Li Keqiang and a dozen of his ministers.

“China has always been a very important partner for the EU in many ways,” Juncker said, indicating that it could become even more so, perhaps at the expense of the U.S.

But the Chinese are not the easiest of partners, he said. “The relationship with China remains difficult, however, because in direct contact with Chinese leaders you also have to address various unpleasant things openly. I will do that,” he said, referring to Beijing’s record on human rights.

Juncker was upbeat in general about Europe, which he said was “doing much better than six months ago” as Brexit “has brought the 27 closer together.” And even Trump’s “worrying” statements made EU leaders compose themselves and “have helped Europeans to rediscover themselves.”

Mark

John H

Wait a minute, is Juncker saying that Obama committed the US to a legally binding agreement without Congressional approval? Hmmmm!
Mind you, Trump won’t pay any attention to Juncker anyway.

Posted on 6/2/17 | 2:19 AM CET

Observer

Juncker unelectet burocrat is favoring EU reltauions with undemocratric comunist dictatorship in China. Where are EU values in this case?Thrown out of the window.

Posted on 6/2/17 | 6:57 AM CET

wow

Where is a quote from China about this new amazing relationship?

EU: China is our new partner, it’s all China,China. Who are the USA?

China: *literally not mentioned the EU once*

It’s getting quite sad really.

Posted on 6/2/17 | 7:02 AM CET

Jonathan Schearer

I have a hard time understanding Europeans lately. How exactly has America threatened Luxembourg and why is there a schoolboy like need for technocrats in the EU to show false bravado towards an alli that has never threatened them. Of course we reserve the right of free people to make our own choices. We are not your countrymen and God help me if I had to sit through the unending meetings that go on in Brussels but we don’t wish you harm. There is no circumstance where Jean Claude Junker will ever dictate terms to our nation and if you have been living under such delusions then reality is your best cure. Europes trouble are made by the people of Europe and must be solved by the people of Europe. Life isnt that complicated. Cut your government by 25% encourage business growth and stop whining so much. Your becoming like spoiled children.

Posted on 6/2/17 | 8:45 AM CET

Anthony Calleja

It is completely amazing how this junk the drunk blabbers when he’s cornered. Just one look at him and everyone knows that the eu is becoming the laughing stock of the planet !

Posted on 6/2/17 | 9:36 AM CET

alan

Juncker: ‘A Luxembourger is not afraid of an American’

I am strangely reminded of the old Peter Sellars film “The Mouse that Roared”

Posted on 6/2/17 | 9:42 AM CET

Flemings

Juncker is an embarrassment.

Posted on 6/2/17 | 9:47 AM CET

Justice

Junckers dad certainly wasn’t afraid of the yanks or brits. He fought very poorly against them while fighting on germanys behalf in the SS

Posted on 6/2/17 | 10:39 AM CET

bohumil

EU has incredibly wrong hand when choosing partners. First Turkey, now China. What could be next ? North Korea ?

Posted on 6/2/17 | 11:27 AM CET

Veritas-Semper

With the caveat: a “tipsy” Luxembourger should not be afraid of anything or anybody, for that matter. Being in the state (or, from the state) of “tipsy” makes it the great equalizer.

Posted on 6/2/17 | 11:59 AM CET

Theo

Jonathan Schaerer
Thanks for the comment. Most comments I read lately were full of hate and jumbled sentences.As a German citizen I’m not happy about the clashes between Europe and the US. We had in Germany always a good rapport with the GIs who served over here.We invited them home and had parties together.And I speak only for Germany not for Europe.I visited the US two times and got to know the Americans’ way of thinking and seeing the world.And all the rhetoric now makes me and a lot of other Germans sad.Believe me.Sometimes I think the politicians are like little kids who stamp their feet.They lack charisma lose contact with the people whose leaders they are.They come and go.
I read an article in the US edition on this subject and opened the comments.The commentators were all Americans I think and was very interesting.It gave me a deep insight of how divided America is.I didn’t write a comment because I think it’s not my business to meddle in internal American affairs.We the people of our countries must not let us set against each other by populists and other assholes.

Posted on 6/2/17 | 1:30 PM CET

Ioannis Andris

Was he sober when he made the statements? You know, he has a severe drinking problem after all..

Posted on 6/2/17 | 1:45 PM CET

ze_swiata

Mr Juncker you have missed your AA meeting again!

Posted on 6/2/17 | 5:00 PM CET

Theo

Justice
Junker’s father was forced to join the Wehrmacht as many others were.He certainly didn’t volunteer for the SS.Wikipedia.Maybe he fought so poorly because he didn’t want to Hitler ‘s work? How do you know he fought poorly.Did you see him fight? My comment doesn’t mean I like his son.

Posted on 6/2/17 | 7:40 PM CET

Vogue

How long is Juncker to remain in office? When are the next elections? Is there a limit on the number of mandates? Any risk of a possible limit being extended “à la Putin” to suit Mr J?

Posted on 6/2/17 | 11:04 PM CET

Tom Cullem

What’s that you said, Jean-Claude? The EU, and particularly France and Germany, will be only too delighted to step up and replace the $300bn bill America agreed to pay to support the terms of the Climate Change Agreement?! What’s that?! Italy and Spain and Portugal and Romania have already volunteered to up their payments to take up the slack?!

What a stellar bunch! Wait . . .what? I misheard . . .?

Posted on 6/2/17 | 11:46 PM CET

Marc

Cheers !

Posted on 6/3/17 | 7:08 AM CET

Marc

Who is Juncker?

Posted on 6/3/17 | 7:09 AM CET

AnAmerican

I know humburgers but how does luxenburger taste?

Posted on 6/3/17 | 9:00 AM CET

CSK

“A Luxembourger is not afraid of an American”…

Shouted Juncker through a megaphone as Air Force One took off!! That told him!

Posted on 6/3/17 | 8:16 PM CET

peregrine

The Mouse That Roared

Posted on 6/5/17 | 3:08 AM CET

fmarc

“Europe is the new leader of the democratic world.” OMG!
That sounds so nice to say. But wait for the cost, and the sacrifice it involves as far as social entitlements is involved. A lot of European thought that it was ” better to be red than dead” when it came to respond to USSR ICBM Threat, The US with Reagan had to deal with it and defeated the Soviets at their own game. The US population was then ready to pay for the cold war. Not any more. Are the European ready to die and fort the bill? Very, very unlikely.

Posted on 6/5/17 | 6:49 PM CET

Gareth Cooke

No because Luxemburg’s bankers are happy to help in corp tax fraud and moving money around

Posted on 6/7/17 | 5:21 AM CET

Slybele

Tom Cullem- You are wrong. Trump is pulling America off the world stage and that ain’t a good thing.